Seth Meyers - Trump Praises Putin's "Genius" and "Savvy" as Ukraine Crisis Worsens: A Closer Look

[Rhiannon12866]

6. You're right, back then people waited and hoped for letters

And it totally baffles me that Russia is now ready and willing to go to war. I actually visited the USSR back in the late '80s with my grandmother and her peace group, they had a "sister town" there. And everywhere we went, there were statues and plaques commemorating those who were lost in WWII. Russia was hit really hard by that war, fought on their own land, thousands starved (Leningrad) and the military losses were horrific. There were museums, even in the smallest schools, to teach the next generations the lessons of that war. They were very afraid of Reagan since his tough policies caused the hard liners to crack down on Gorbachev's more progressive policies which gave the people such hope. And I still remember one woman who had been a nurse in WWII - she said "Please when you go back, tell your president that we want peace." Have they really forgotten??

And I also remember the day of the JFK assassination. My reading group was allowed to go to the school library on our own - as long as we walked in line and didn't talk in the halls. But apparently Coach, the school gym teacher, had a free period and turned on his radio - so he was the first to hear that the president had been shot. He raced to the closest classroom, the sixth grade teacher, and he raced to the school library to tell the librarian. And that's when we heard.

So we forgot our instructions, ran back to our classroom at the far end of the school and informed the teacher - who raced out to find out more - and that was it. We all were sent home, I remember we all sat in the gym waiting for the school buses to arrive. And when I got home my mother already knew, had been told by a neighbor. She was upset, everyone was, and there was continuing (black and white) TV news coverage. I not only remember seeing Oswald being shot live, but I also remember seeing that horse with the empty saddle. It was traumatic for everyone, whether they'd voted for him or not, he was our president.